Don't Forget to Remember Me
by kaeh96
Summary: AU: Life seems perfect for the Lamontagnes, but everything is not as it seems.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hey guys! So I'm really proud of this story, and I hope you guys like it! I'll be working on this at the same time as "Let Me Go", so no worries that story is still very much being done :). I really appreciate all your kind words, it always makes my day!**

**Yeah this chapter is short.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and/or its affiliates. I simply enjoy torturing you all with it.**

Jennifer Jareau pulled up to the elementary school, and smiled when she saw her daughter happily walking out to the car.

"Hey bunny rabbit! How was your day?" She asked as her little girl slid in.

"Hi mom! It was ok, I had my math test." Isabel Lamontagne-Jareau said as she plopped her backpack on the seat.

"Oh, how was it?" JJ tried not to sound too nervous, she knew Bell struggled with math, and she had been driving JJ and Will crazy with the amount of stress she'd been enduring.

"Good, just hard. I think I did well though. I don't like math." Isabel sounded confident, which comforted JJ.

"That's good, and I know. At least it's over for the year!"

"You're right! Oh good I feel better now."

JJ smiled when the change in her daughter's tone of voice became lighter.

"Good! Do you have any homework?"

"A little, I just need help for my language arts test tomorrow. Will you help me with spelling words?"

"Of course sweetie. Do you want to do anything after? Watch a movie, play soccer? I won't be called in for work, I promise." JJ had been anxious all day, she needed to spend quality time with her daughter.

"Can we take Lucy for a walk with Henry and then play cards?

"Okay!"

"Yay!"

They both laughed at Isabel's enthusiasm. JJ had always admired her daughter's spirit, and found it to be a large part of her source of inspiration.

"Is daddy home?" Isabel carried on.

Still chuckling to herself, JJ looked in the rearview mirror and said,

"Not yet, he's picking Henry up from daycare, but he should be home about fifteen minutes after us, okay?'

"Okay."

They pulled up to their large, historic, colonial-era home on Fort Belvoir, and JJ heard Isabel breathe a sigh of relief as she stepped out of the car and into the cool garage. JJ laughed at her daughter,

"Happy to be home?"

Isabel nodded furiously with a big smile on her face. As JJ watched her little firecracker dash into the house, she thought about how glad she was to spend time with her. Isabel was her little carbon copy, with the exception of one thing; her hair. While Henry had inherited JJ's long, golden-blonde hair, Isabel's was jet-black, much darker than even Will's medium-brown hair. Bell's hair was long, thick, and silky, and the source of envy of many of the other girls in Isabel's class, and their mothers. However, Isabel had the same bright blue eyes as JJ and Will, and they complemented her dark hair and porcelain skin beautifully. JJ and Will had both always known that their daughter would be exceptionally beautiful, and Henry was a handsome little boy. JJ let herself get lost in thought as she reflected on the past few months, and looked forward to the upcoming summer.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: Ok stuff gets real serious real fast here HAVE FUN.**

**And do I look like I own Criminal Minds? Nope didn't think so.**

_Four days later_

As the warm May sun shone, JJ ran across the backyard, waiting for Isabel's pass.

"Come on, Bell, think fast!"

With that, the soccer ball flew at her, and she easily stopped it with her foot. She dribbled, moving closer to the house, and looked at her eleven year old, mischief in her crystal blue eyes, and waited for her to make a move. Without warning, Isabel got on her mother, sticking with her as they moved closer to the goal, JJ kicked with great power, expecting to make it, but was pleasantly surprised when Isabel dove for the ball and caught it, landing roughly on her right side with a big smile on her face.

"Ha! Told you I could get it!"

The two burst into laughter, and JJ chased her daughter,

"I'm gonna get you! Come here!"

They ran the perimeter of the yard, stopping when William and Henry Lamontagne stepped out, their three year old beagle, Lucy, following close behind.

"Mommy! Bell!" Henry called out as he ran across the yard, trying to catch up with his mother and sister.

"Hey little man!" Isabel called to him, "Want to play soccer?"

He nodded enthusiastically, and Isabel smiled back at him,

" Ok, I'll be the goalie, you play against mom, ok?"

He laughed and ran to the ball, which Lucy had been playing with.

Colonel William Lamontagne watched his wife, son, and daughter with great admiration. Isabel was a lot like JJ, and Henry was developing the same fiery personality. He was glad they enjoyed the home they'd been living in for nearly two years. Ever since he became an officer, they had been much more relaxed, due to the fact that they moved much less often, and he was no longer at risk of being sent to war. He went deep into thought, and came back when Isabel suddenly stopped.

"Hey, can we go in? I'm getting tired."

She was barely able to breathe, and despite the fact that Henry and JJ could have kept going for hours, JJ said,

"Sure, we can have lunch."

They followed each other through the den and into the kitchen, and made grilled cheese sandwiches with fruit on the side. They all sat down with full plates, and sat down at the little table off the kitchen.

"So, Bell, you excited for school to end in two weeks? Think you'll survive?" JJ asked before plopping a grape in her mouth.

Isabel nodded enthusiastically, however looked down at her untouched plate with sad eyes.

"Mom, I'm not really hungry, can I just cover this and put it in the fridge and have it later?"

JJ nodded and asked, "Sure, bunny, you feeling alright?"

Isabel nodded and left. Will smiled at Henry then looked at JJ,

"That was weird, first she got so tired all of a sudden and now she won't eat?"

JJ shook it off, saying,

"I'm sure she's just stressed and tired from school, you know she just finished all her tests and now they're finishing up. She'll be ok when summer starts."

Xx

That night, Isabel woke up with something hot streaming down the side of her face, and with a massive headache. She sat up, brought her hand to her face, and stopped when she found the source; her nose. '_Blood_', she thought. She sighed, got up, and went down the hallway to her bathroom, quietly closing the door behind her and turning on the light. She grabbed a tissue and brought it to her nose, pinching the base of it. Tired, she sat down on the toilet, waiting for the flow to stop. Ten minutes passed, and, surprised that the bleeding had barely gotten better, she tried to stand up, but decided against it when she felt unnaturally dizzy. She got scared when Will knocked on the door and asked to come in.

"Sure, go ahead." She responded softly.

Will looked at her, then at the dozen bloody tissues on the counter, and said,

"What happened, are you okay?"

She nodded, and replied,

"Just a nosebleed. I'm a little dizzy and it's barely getting better, but I'm ok."

Will grabbed a fresh tissue and moved her hand so his could take its place. It took yet another ten minutes for it to finally stop, and when it did Will threw the tissues away, wet a clean one, wiped the dried blood off her face, and carried her back to bed. "Alright, there you go, princess." He said as he laid her down in bed and tucked her in.

"If this happens again tonight come get me, ok?" He asked in a voice just above a whisper.

She nodded, closing her eyes.

"Ok. Remember, daddy..." He started,

"...always loves me." She finished.

Will took one last glance at his little girl before closing her door almost-all-the-way, just the way she liked it, behind him.

Xx

Two days later, Isabel quickly ran up the stairs and hopped into the shower after a long and hard soccer practice. She was unnaturally exhausted, and couldn't wait to just go to sleep. She was scrubbing the back of her right shoulder blade, but stopped when she felt unbearable pain. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a large, blue bruise across the area, then looked down to see identical ones on her right thigh and her ribcage area.

"How'd that get there..." She quietly asked herself.

She finished up, put on a towel, and walked down the hall and into the master bedroom.

"Mom, are you in here?" She called out.

"Coming bunny!" JJ replied from inside the huge walk in closet. "What's up love?" She asked as she walked over to Isabel.

Isabel stepped in,

"Well, you know how I fell the other day when we were playing soccer? Well now I have these big bruises from where I fell."

She turned around so JJ could see the one on her shoulder, then lifted the towel just enough so the one on her thigh was visible.

"Oh my goodness," JJ said, sounding shocked, "These are big! Do they hurt?" She asked as she gently brushed her fingers across Isabel's shoulder.

When Isabel nodded, JJ continued,

"Hmm, well you didn't fall nearly that hard, and besides you've done much worse and had far less damage. Let's check them again tomorrow morning, and if they're worse, we'll make you an appointment to see the doctor, okay?"

That night, Isabel had not one, but two more nosebleeds, and she was too exhausted to bother checking her bruises. When she woke up, she was surprised to see more had formed on her ankles and shins, presumably from soccer. She heard a knock on the door as she was brushing her hair, and heard JJ's voice,

"Bell, it's me love, can I come in?"

Isabel opened the door and let her mother in.

"Alright bunny let's check these..." She stopped as her eyes caught sight of Isabel's legs. "Oh, honey, what on earth? Ok, well, show me the ones you saw yesterday."

Isabel let her mother see, and flinched as just the slightest touch sent pain throughout her body.

"They've definitely gotten worse, and you shouldn't be bruising just from soccer, you've played for years and you're strong enough that shouldn't happen. I'll go have daddy make an appointment for you, ok?" JJ said as she studied the bruises.

Isabel nodded, hugged her mom, and went back to getting ready for school.

The next day, Isabel's foot was shaking as she sat in the chair in the exam room while she and JJ waited for the doctor to come in. They were silent until a pretty blonde woman with a big smile came in.

"Hello, Mrs. Lamontagne, Isabel, I'm Dr. Robins How are you guys today?"

JJ stood up, smiled, and shook her hand,

"I'm doing well but Isabel here isn doing so great."

Dr. Robins walked over to Isabel, smiled, shook her hand and said,

"Yeah I heard you got some pretty bad bruising, and you're getting tired easily?"

Isabel nodded, and Dr. Robins continued,

"Can I see your bruises?"

As JJ watched Dr. Robins carefully examine her daughter's bruises, she found herself holding her breath, Isabel's bruises looked much worse in the bright lighting. Dr. Robins finished, grabbed Isabel's chart, jotted something down, cleared her throat, and looked at Isabel again,

"Anything else that's been different recently?"

Isabel nodded, and said,

"Yeah I keep having really bad nosebleeds, like they last longer than ten minutes."

JJ added,

"She's also losing her appetite, she'll come home from school or soccer and be starving and get all this food, but then not want to eat anything by the time it's ready."

Dr. Robins eyed them, and said,

"Alright, well for now, I want you to put ice on those bruises, okay? Mom, don't give her any Motrin or Ibuprofen, ok? I need to take a blood test, just to narrow down what it is we're looking at. I'm also going to give you some iron supplements, they'll help the bruises heal faster and your nosebleeds hopefully won't be as frequent, and try to eat as much as you can, okay?"

JJ and Isabel nodded, and Dr. Robins wrote some last notes on the chart.

"Alright, I'll send a nurse in to come take your blood, and then you'll be all set to go! Thank you, bye Isabel!"

JJ stood up, shook Dr. Robin's hand and thanked her yet again, and Isabel called out a goodbye as she left, then looked at JJ.

"Mom, wha-what's going to happen to me?"

JJ smiled, her heart breaking a little, and she sat next to her daughter,

"Well, they're going to put a needle with a tube in your vein on your arm, right here." She showed her daughter on her own arm,

"Then, they're going to run some tests to see what's wrong, if anything, and a couple days later they'll call us, probably ask us to come in, and tell us. Then, we just take it from there. Okay?"

Isabel nodded, and looked at her mom with fear in her eyes. JJ took her daughter's right hand and put her arm around her shoulders as a nurse came in with equipment for drawing blood. Isabel looked away and squeezed JJ's hand tightly as the needle sunk in and took her blood. After it was over, they left with nervous thoughts running through their heads.

Xx

Three days passed, and when Isabel came home from school on Friday, JJ got a phone call from the doctor's office.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Lamontagne, this is Dr. Robins, we have Isabel's blood tests ready."

"Oh, hi Dr. Yes, do you need us to come in?"

"Yes, ma'am, and if your husband could come as well that would be best."

"Ok, he should be home soon, we'll be in within a few hours."

"Great! Goodbye!"

"Thank you, Dr. Goodbye."

JJ hung up and told Isabel to get ready to go as soon as Will got home. She then called Will, asking him to come home soon, and was relieved when he said he was on his way. They were waiting by the front door, along with Henry, when Will stepped in, and just as quickly as he had come home, they all left.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: Prepare for feels. Are you ready? I don't think you are. Good luck, brave soul.**

**Nah sorry I don't own CM I wish I did but hey we can't always get what we want, now can we?**

Each of the Lamontagne-Jareaus were nervous, even Henry could tell something wasn't exactly right. Isabel flipped through an old magazine, sitting in JJ's lap. A nurse walked into the waiting room,

"Lamontagne, Isabel", she called.

They got up, smiled and said short greetings to her, and walked back to an exam room. They all sat in nervous silence as they waited for Dr. Robins, wondering what kind of news they would be getting. It seemed as though ages passed before she finally stepped in. Her greetings were quick and her smile wasn't as bright. She sat down and encouraged everyone else to do so.

"Ok, guys, we put Isabel's blood through many tests, and we did find a problem, and I'd rather just say it now to clear the air. See, there is a special kind of white blood cell, which is in charge of fighting off infections, however when too many are made, it can cause the body to attack itself. This is all occurring in the blood, which of course flows through the whole body, and this is why Isabel is getting bruises all over her body." She stopped, and everything sunk into JJ's mind.

White blood cells attacking the body, unexplainable bruising and bleeding, fatigue…

"So," JJ began to ask, "are you saying that Isabel has-"

"Leukemia, yes." Dr. Robins finished for her. "It's not a big threat right now because it's early, stage two. Isabel should be alright, with the right treatment she'll make a full recovery, and there are steps we can take throughout her life so it never comes back."

JJ felt sick to her stomach, and the pain worsened when Will nervously asked, "How...how do we treat it?"

Dr. Robins cleared her throat,

"Chemotherapy is going to be the majority of it, and we need to admit her to the pediatric cancer wing as soon as possible, which would be today. She'll also receive blood transfusions, and possibly a bone marrow transplant if the condition worsens and spreads, but we don't need to worry about that right now. I also want you to keep taking the iron, it'll really improve your blood quality and you'll feel better as well."

Her voice was calm, and it was clear that she was speaking directly to Isabel during the last part. They all nodded in understanding, and JJ asked,

"So, it's...it's cancer, right?"

Dr. Robins nodded, "Any questions, maybe about chemotherapy?"

JJ's heart sunk, and tears filled her eyes as she pulled Isabel close to her. Will's voice cracked as he asked,

"What exactly happens with chemo, how will it affect her?"

Dr. Robins looked at him with solemn eyes,

"Every few weeks she'll have a set of chemicals injected into her body, in a process similar to a blood transfusion. The chemicals will balance the levels of everything in her blood. Side effects, well, her hair will fall out, she'll be nauseous, tired, and you may notice swelling right above her collarbone. It's a long process, and there will be bad days and good days. You just need to keep hoping, and never stop fighting."

JJ bowed her head and let tears stream down as the thought of her daughter living in a hospital creeped into her mind.

"Anything else?" She numbly said in a voice just above a whisper.

Dr. Robins shook her head lightly,

"Nope, just need to get her admittance ready, then we'll take you there."

They said their thanks but stayed in the room to let everything sink in. Will and JJ took Isabel into a hug, holding her tightly. Scared, Isabel let herself cry into Will's shoulder. Henry seemed fairly indifferent, just confused. They stayed like this for several minutes, before finally heading to the front. JJ, shaking the whole time, kept a firm grasp of Isabel's hand. As JJ and Will set up her admittance, Isabel zoned out, then was interrupted by Henry gently tapping her hand. She looked down at him, and asked, "Hey, what's up bud?"

He looked at her shyly,

"Bell, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Isabel looked into his eyes for a moment,

"Well, the doctor says there's something wrong with my blood, so I need special medicine to take care of it." She answered, pointing at the veins on his forearm so he knew.

He simply stared at her ivory skin, nodded, and, without warning, pulled her down by wrapping his little hands behind her neck, and squeezed her tightly. Everything suddenly hit Isabel at once, and she was very, very scared.

Isabel sat biting her nails, her leg shaking so much it lifted her small hospital gown off her leg. JJ sat on the edge of the hospital bed, tears slowly flowing from her eyes as everything sunk in. They were in the pediatrics wing of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and the shock of what they'd just been told was taking its toll. Isabel looked out the door to see her dad and Henry at the reception desk, filling out paperwork. She had a million questions on her mind, and yet was too scared to ask half of them.

"Mommy?" She said softly, her voice trembling.

JJ looked at her with red rimmed eyes,

"Yes bunny?"

"Why do I have to stay here?" Bell asked, hardly being able to maintain eye contact with her mother.

"Oh baby," JJ sighed, "They need to do more tests, and you have to stay here so they can watch you." She moved closer to her Bell and brushed her jet-black hair away from her face so she could look into her eyes, "I'm spending the night tonight, but daddy and Henry have to go home. They'll stay here until tonight, okay?"

Isabel simply nodded, and climbed into JJ's lap, tears starting to form in her eyes. The, Dr. Robins, Will, Henry, and a nurse came in, the nurse closing the door behind them. Will sat down next to JJ and Isabel, and Henry sat at the foot of the bed. Dr. Robins looked at them,

"Alright guys, this is Dr. Artino, she'll be performing the next two tests."

Dr. Artino smiled at them. She was pretty, with long, chocolate brown hair, olive skin, and grey-green eyes. Dr. Robins continued,

"These tests are called 'bone marrow aspiration' and a 'spinal fluid aspiration'. What's going to happen is we are going to put Isabel under anesthesia, and we are going to take two needles; the first for the spinal fluid aspiration, the second for the bone marrow aspiration. With the spinal fluid aspiration, we are going to insert a needle into the spinal chord, and take a kind of fluid called 'cerebrospinal fluid'." As she spoke, she pointed to a poster of the spine on the wall, and gestured to the area of extraction, in the lower back. "With the bone marrow aspiration, the needle will go into what is called the 'iliac crest', and it is essentially the back of the pelvis. Both of these tests will help us learn what kind of leukemia you have, so we can begin the appropriate treatment Isabel needs as soon as possible. Any questions?"

"How long will it take?" JJ asked, her voice shaky.

"The actual procedure will take around half an hour, give or take ten minutes, it really depends on how quickly the fluid and the marrow flow. She'll be sore for awhile after, and she isn't going to want to be on her back. We'll have her lay on her side during the procedure, but she's going to have to be on her back when she wakes up, simply for safety reasons. Anything else?" Dr. Robins watched their faces as they absorbed the information. Suddenly, Isabel spoke up,

"W-will I feel anything?"

Dr. Robins saw the fear in her eyes,

"Not while it's happening, no. You'll be in a very deep sleep, and you won't remember anything. Ok sweetie?"

Isabel nodded, and looked down at her hands. Dr. Artino cleared her throat,

"Okay Isabel, sweetie, if you could come with me? Mr. and Mrs. Lamontagne, Dr. Robins will take you down to the waiting room."

JJ turned to her daughter, and pulled her close,

"It's gonna be ok, I promise. It'll be over before you know it, ok?" She whispered in her ear.

"Okay. I love you mommy." Isabel's voice was even shakier, and she had tears lightly flowing down her eyes.

JJ, Will, and Henry all gave her a hug and a kiss, then followed Dr. Robins down to the waiting room.

JJ sat hunched over with her head resting in her hands, praying for Isabel to be ok. She was in a state of numbness, and couldn't believe what was happening. Suddenly, Henry lightly bumped into her as he shifted position's in Will's lap, and she was shaken back to reality. Despite her current state, she still had responsibilities to take care of, one of which was to her team. She sat up and dug her black iPhone out of her purse, unlocked it, and pressed on the first contact in her address book.

"Hotchner."

"Hotch, it's JJ,"

"Hey JJ, what's going on?"

"Hotch it…it's Isabel. She's sick, we're at the hospital."

"JJ…"

"She uh, she has blood problems…she has l-leukemia."

"…JJ, I'm so sorry."

JJ began to cry uncontrollably, "I can't come in for a little bit"

"Of course. Take your time. Give Will and Isabel my good wishes, you're in my thoughts."

"Thanks, Hotch."

"It's fine. Go on, be there for her, and get some rest."

JJ wiped the tears from her face as she hung up, and soon enough Dr. Artino was standing in front of her, with a look of relief on her face,

"She did very well, and the procedure went quicker than we thought. You can see her now, but just a warning, she's still very drowsy, and we don't want to push it. Follow me."

They stood up and followed closely behind Dr. Artino. They stepped into the room to find Dr. Robins helping Isabel turn onto her side to relieve the pressure off her sore back.

"Hey, Isabel, look. Your mom and dad and Henry are here." Dr. Robins spoke softly, and rubbed between Isabel's shoulder blades as she did.

Isabel looked at them with tired eyes, which lit up when she gave a small smile. They walked over to the bed and watched as Dr. Robins finished setting up Isabel's IV fluids and helped her get comfortable. When she was done, she looked at JJ,

"Mrs. Lamontagne, since you're spending the night with her tonight, there's some things you should know." She walked over to JJ, "First, she needs her rest. Make sure she sleeps the whole night tonight as best she can. Second, everyone reacts to anesthesia differently. She may get sick to her stomach, she may feel itchy in some places, especially around where she was stuck with the needles, and at the site of her IV. If she does feel itchy, do not let her scratch. Finally, she's scared. Comfort her as best you can. A nurse will be in shortly for bed check. Understand?"

JJ nodded as she took in all the information, and made a mental note to watch for side effects. Dr. Robins and Dr. Artino left the room, quietly shutting the door behind them. The Lamontagnes let a comfortable silence exist as they settled in. Henry seemed intimidated by all the posters and equipment in the room, while Will was watching Isabel slowly come back to full consciousness. JJ was letting her mind wander off, and she thought about anything that would help her get away from her reality.

Will broke the silence,

"Hi princess, how are you?"

Isabel's big eyes met his,

"Hi daddy. My back hurts."

JJ's heart broke as she heard the pain in her daughter's voice, she wanted to do something, anything, to make it go away. Will comforted her and they carried on as JJ sat on the bed and let Henry crawl into her lap. She listened to Will and Isabel, letting the flow of their soft conversation calm her down. When Henry eventually fell asleep, she rubbed his back in small circles, just like she did when he was a baby. It was comforting for her to feel his warm breath on her neck, as it brought back memories of when Isabel was this small. JJ would give anything for her to be able to be holding both her babies at home this very moment, but she knew that couldn't happen for awhile.

Their peace was disturbed by a light knock on the door. Will called out,

"Come in."

A short, dark-haired and dark-skinned nurse with a big smile walked in.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lamontagne, I'm Sarah Long, and you must be Isabel!"

She walked up to Isabel and stretched out her hand. Isabel took it lightly, nodding her head as she did so.

"How are you sweetie?" Nurse Long asked.

"I'm ok, I'm tired and my back is sore." Isabel looked into Nurse Long's deep brown eyes with a sense of comfort.

"Well as soon as you go to sleep, the sooner you'll wake up, and you won't be tired and you won't be as sore anymore, okay?" Nurse Long spoke with kindness and compassion.

She then turned to Will,

"Mr. Lamontagne, I'm sorry, but you and your son need to leave."

Will nodded, carefully took Henry from JJ's arms, and turned to Isabel,

"I love you princess, and I'll see you in the morning." He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto her forehead, and as he did Isabel simply smiled at him.

"Goodnight daddy, I love you."

"I love you too sweetheart, goodnight."

With that, he gave JJ a quick kiss, and left, their son fast asleep on his shoulder.

Nurse Long did a quick once-over of Isabel's vitals, told her and JJ goodnight, and left.

JJ sighed and looked at her little girl,

"Alright Bell, you ready for sleep?" She asked softly, watching her daughter's eyelids begin to droop.

Isabel nodded and yawned. JJ stood up, turned off the light, then walked back over to the bed. She took off her shoes, put her hair in a loose ponytail, and got in under the covers next to her daughter. She turned to Isabel and began stroking her hair,

"You know, I used to hold you just like I was holding Henry earlier, except you would always hold a little piece of my hair."

Isabel turned to JJ, sat up a little, and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She then turned to JJ and buried her face in her chest, closed her eyes, and as her breathing slowed, JJ began to hum her favorite lullaby, "Hush Little Baby, Don't Say a Word". JJ watched her daughter fall into a deep sleep, and when she was sure she was asleep, she leaned down, whispered in her ear,

"Goodnight bunny rabbit, I love you so much."

Pressed a kiss to her temple, and leaned back, letting the sound of her daughter's breaths lull her into her own world of dreams.

AN: SO? DID YOU MAKE IT? I HOPE YOU DID


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey all so sorry I haven't updated this in like a month as you know I've been working on other stuff haha. Anyways, enjoy!**

JJ woke up with the bright sun blaring across her face the next morning, and once she opened her eyes, she looked down to see Isabel still laying in the exact same spot she'd fallen asleep in, buried into JJ's chest. JJ watched her daughter sleep, enjoying her warmth and the soothing sound and feel of her breath. Her daughter's stomach expanded and collapsed as it filled and emptied with oxygen, and she felt it touch her own ribcage ever so slightly when her daughter drew in a deep, peaceful breath. Carefully, she moved her arm just enough so she could glance at her wristwatch. They'd been told the previous night that morning checks were done at 7:30. '_7:13'_ was what JJ's watch read, and she was thankful she had more time to relax and let her daughter rest. Isabel was going to need her strength. JJ began to lightly stroke Isabel's hair and the side of her face as she thought of the long journey they had ahead of themselves. She thought of her little firecracker, sick and weak, with all her hair and muscle gone. Without warning, tears began to stream her face, and quiet yet violent sobs escaped her body, and she held Isabel tighter. Soon enough, Isabel stirred, yet her voice was muffled by JJ's tight grasp. JJ inched ever so slightly away from her daughter,

"Oh baby I'm so sorry I didn't mean to wake you I just…"

"Mommy, why are you crying? It's okay, really." Isabel looked up at her mom, and pulled her even closer, resting her head in the crook of JJ's left shoulder. Isabel calmly let JJ cry, tears stinging her own eyes. Not out of fear, but confusion. She wasn't too sure why JJ was so upset. She knew very well that she was sick, yes, but was scared by JJ's reaction that she wasn't going to be okay. Another five minutes passed before Isabel spoke up,

"Mom, you're scaring me…am I going to die?"

JJ simply looked down at her daughter, her face pale and her hands cold. She hadn't intended to lose her composure so much that she scared Isabel, and she came to the realization that she needed to toughen up and be strong for her daughter. She cleared her throat and looked Isabel straight in the eyes,

"Of course not, bunny. I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I promise, you are going to be just fine. You have very good doctors here that will make you all better before you know it, okay?"

Isabel nodded, and JJ pressed a kiss to her forehead. JJ rubbed her eyes and rubbed small circles on Isabel's back. They laid in silence until there was a little knock on the door, and Nurse Long stepped into the room.

"Morning sunshine! Time to get up!"

JJ and Isabel sat up, stretched, and JJ climbed off the bed so Nurse Long could check on Isabel.

"How did she sleep?"

Nurse Long asked JJ as she checked Isabel's vitals.

"Better than I thought she would, honestly."

"That's good. Sweetie how are you feeling?"

Isabel, who tended to be shy around new people, particularly adults, looked at JJ with longing eyes. JJ, who had learned over time to persuade Isabel instead of push, simply gave her a look that said _'go on, tell her'_. Isabel looked up at Nurse Long,

"The place where the needle went in my back is a little itchy and really sore, and I'm kind of dizzy."

Nurse Long simply smiled as she reached for a gauze pad, medical tape, and antibiotic,

"Alright sweetie, I'll change the bandage and we'll get you some water, okay?"

Isabel nodded and gave a slight "thank you". JJ smiled at the two of them as Isabel patiently positioned herself and tried not to flinch or wince as a new gauze pad with cold antibiotic ointment was carefully positioned on her lower back. When she was done, Nurse Long left, carefully shutting the door behind herself. Isabel looked at JJ,

"Mom when is Daddy gonna get here?"

JJ looked up from her phone,

"He told me he'd be here right when visiting hours start at 9, so in a little over an hour, okay?"

Isabel nodded, paused for a moment, and spoke up again,

"Is he bringing some of my stuff?"

JJ nodded as she looked through her call log and text messages, all of which were from the members of her team at the BAU. She knew she had to call all of them back, along with her mother and other family members. She wasn't looking forward to explaining everything to everyone over and over and crying constantly, but it had to be done. The longer she waited to tell everyone, the more anxious she would get and the more telling everyone would hurt. JJ began to feel overwhelmed by all the messages on her phone, so she plopped it back in her purse and went back to sit on the bed with Isabel. She had her turn away from her, and she began to pull her hair back into two french pigtail braids, and made light conversation as she worked slowly, slower than she normally did, because she knew it soothed Isabel and they both needed a way to quickly pass the time without getting bored.

Soon enough, Will and Henry came bursting through the door, Isabel's purple Vera Bradley duffle bag slung over Will's shoulder. Will smiled at them and Henry ran and practically threw himself onto the hospital bed as he exclaimed his greetings to his mother and sister. JJ gave him a hug and kiss, then stood to do the same to Will. Will leaned across the bed and gave Isabel a kiss,

"Morning princess, how are you?"

"I'm okay, daddy, thanks." Isabel smiled up at Will, and a few seconds later there was yet another knock on the door. Dr. Robins walked in, Isabel's chart in her hand and her usual smile on her face.

"Good morning everyone! Nice to see you all up and full of energy. I just came to discuss Isabel's tests. Everything is still being processed, but we should know by this afternoon. I'll check back in when I have the results, okay?"

"Thank you, doctor." JJ said with a frank expression on her face. She was nervous more than anything for the results; the type of leukemia Isabel had could vastly change how quickly it was treated.

Xx

The day passed with Will and JJ making phone calls, sending emails, and responding to text messages with teary eyes, broken voices, and worn-down souls. Isabel played with Henry all day, and told him made-up stories of big adventures, love, and happiness. At around three o'clock, that famous knock on the door sounded again. Dr. Robins, Nurse Long, and a male doctor none of them had met or seen before stepped in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lamontagne, Isabel, this is Dr. Kershaw, he'll be Isabel's oncologist." Dr. Robins said as she gestured to the man. He seemed to be in his late thirties to mid forties, he had light brown hair and striking green eyes, and appeared to be very physically fit. He smiled and shook each of their hands, including Henry's which caused Henry to blush and stand up a little straighter. Dr. Kershaw gestured for everyone to sit. He cleared his throat and looked at them,

"Well, I have probably the closest thing to good news that we can have. Isabel, you have stage two Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, or ALL. It is the most common type of leukemia in children, and it is very, _very_ treatable, and survival rates are high."

At least JJ had some sort of odds in her favor.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys, how have you been? Sorry it's been awhile since I've updated, I've been crazy busy! Anyways, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds and/or its affiliates**

***I am NOT a medical specialist or practitioner in any shape or ****form, the information and knowledge I have received is accredited to various medical online resources found through general google searches. The information I have included is as accurate as possible, though I am not to be consulted.**

"Alright," Dr. Kershaw said as he settled into a chair at the foot of Isabel's bed the next morning,

"Let's talk about treatment."

JJ and Will eyed him, willing for him to go on,

"Basically, you can separate ALL treatment into three steps; induction, consolidation, and maintenance. Induction will last about four to six weeks, consolidation will be around one to two months, and maintenance, the longest step, will be two to three years, however, simply due to the fact that Isabel is over the age of ten years old, she is considered a high-risk patient, so, odds are maintenance will be closer to three years. We will begin induction as soon as possible; during this time, we will give Isabel inductive chemotherapy, which isn't _too_ high-dosage, but it is very aggressive. Some of the medication we inject will have to go through the puncture we made during Isabel's spinal aspiration, in order to get the drugs to the central nervous system, which is key for preventing the spread of the cancer from her blood to her nerves. There are four medications that will be administered during induction; Daunorubicin, Vincristine, Prednisone, and L-Asparaginase."

"What do each of those do?" Will asked

"Daunorubicin slows and eventually stops the growth of cancer cells; Vincristine is a mitotic inhibitor, which means that it stops mitosis, a process that occurs in the metaphase of cell division. So, it essentially stops the division of cancer cells. Prednisone is a fairly common steroid that will ease inflammation. The main issue with Prednisone is that although it isn't very uncommon and is used for a wide variety of diseases and issues, it is an immunosurpressive drug, and it will make Isabel much more vulnerable to common sicknesses such as the common cold or the flu, as well as infections. We manage that with therapies that are administered later on, but for the next few weeks, we need to keep Isabel away from sick people as much as we possibly can. Finally, L-Asparaginase. Now, this drug is one of my personal favorites; essentially, your body produces amino acids, some are good, or essential, and some are bad, or non-essential. One of the non-essentials is called asparagine. Normal, healthy, cells can make their own asparagine, while cancer cells cannot. So, the L-Asparaginase cuts off the transition of asparagine into acid, leading to the death of leukemia cells. It is very effective, although it can cause an allergic reaction. Luckily, we start off with a very low dose of it, and the Prednisone will greatly reduce the severity of the allergic reaction, should Isabel suffer one. Any questions?"

JJ was able to follow all the information pretty well, but was unsure what was going through Will's mind.

"So, which medications will go through her spinal aspiration?" Will asked, his voice shaky.

"L-Asparaginase and Vincistrine will go through an IV in her arm, while the other two will go into her spinal chord." Dr. Kershaw was happy to see the look of confusion on Will's face fade; he knew it was a lot to take in and that confusion was a typical first reaction when learning about treatment.

"Will she need radiation?" JJ asked hesitantly. She knew radiation was painful and had nasty side affects.

"No, fortunately. Because Isabel is in a fairly early stage, she won't need it. We tend to avoid radiation as much as we can with children in general, because it hinders growth and development, and it is very painful."

JJ was relieved, and when she looked at Isabel she was happy to find that her daughter was as well. Isabel was clearly understanding the majority of the information that was being fed to them, and she even seemed intrigued and curious.

"Anything else you want to know?" Dr. Kershaw asked lightly, looking at each of them as he did.

"When do we start?" Isabel asked

Dr. Kershaw chuckled and smiled at her,

"This afternoon."

Xx

Isabel sat leaned forward, gripping JJ's hand tightly as the catheter was inserted into the small hole in her spine. When it was finally in all the way, a look of relief washed over her face, and she slowly leaned back once it was taped into place. JJ knew she wouldn't like the next part at all; the IV that was going to be inserted into Isabel's arm was dauntingly large, and Isabel had been eying it since she sat down.

"Don't look Princess." Will said as he settled in a chair next to her.

Isabel turned to JJ, closing her eyes and squeezing JJ's hand tightly, and squealed softly as the needle sunk into her vein.

"Okay sweetie, it's in." The nurse said, placing a gauze pad over the sight of insertion and taping the tube into place. She then connected the tubes to the bags that contained Isabel's medicine, and soon enough the life-saving chemicals were flowing into Isabel's system.

"Will I like…feel anything?" Isabel asked shyly, looking up at the nurse.

"No, not for a few hours, and even then it won't be pain. You may feel dizzy, nauseous, tired, but you won't be in any pain." The nurse placed a pillow behind her back so as to relieve the pressure.

"Do you want or need anything else? Some water or juice, a magazine maybe?" The nurse asked, looking at all three of them.

"I'm fine, thank you." JJ responded

"No thank you." Isabel chirped

"No, thanks" Will replied, looking over at Isabel as he did.

"Alright, well feel free to let me or any of the other nurses know. Dr. Kershaw will come check on you shortly." The nurse nodded at them, and left.

JJ was fascinated by the flowing drugs that were being pumped through the tubes into Isabel. Each medication was a different color; the Daunorubicin a cherry red, Prednisone, light steely grey, the Vintricine a nearly-opaque white, and the L-Asparaginase completely clear. JJ thought about the amazing things this combination of drugs would do within her daughter's tiny system. Each medication had a role, but that role would only work to it's full capability when in specific combination with the other three chemicals. JJ found it incredible how powerful something so simple was, and how medicines like these saved lives, and all it took was a needle and a tube.

JJ knew there would be many more days like this, and that despite the good things these chemicals were doing, they came with harsh side effects. Isabel would lose weight, her hair would fall out, she would become more susceptible to sickness, and she would be very tired all the time. However, in this moment, JJ simply watched her little firecracker sit with a light expression on her face, her eyes full of life and spark, and JJ knew she would pull through.

At least, she hoped she would.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hi! Thank you so much for all the continuous kind words and support, this story means so much to me! **

"Dad…daddy? DAD!" Isabel woke up in absolute hysterics. It had been just over two weeks since her inductive chemotherapy started, and it had taken quite the toll on her little body. She had been sick to her stomach every single day, and she slept for up to thirteen hours a day, which was insane compared to her usual seven.

"What is it princess?" Will asked, sitting up in the blue hospital chair and turning to his daughter.

Sitting up in her bed, Isabel's face was red, her eyes were streaming with tears, and her lip was quivering,

"Daddy look! On my pillow! My hair!"

Will stood up so he could get a better look at what she meant. Sure enough, there were locks of her long, black hair on the pillow and stuck between the sheets.

"Oh, sweetie, come here, it's okay." Will picked her up, careful to pull on the IV lines, and held her, careful not to pull on her hair.

"The doctor, mama, and I told you this would happen, you knew it was coming." Will told her gently.

"Yeah I know but I wasn't expecting it this fast!" Isabel's voice was shaky and she started to sniffle as her crying began to cease.

Will sat back in his chair with Isabel in his lap, he looked her in the eyes,

"Isabel Marie Lamontagne, you are the most beautiful girl in the entire world, alongside your mama. You have the biggest blue eyes, the softest and fairest skin, and the biggest heart of gold. You are beautiful with or without your hair, it does not define you and it does not determine your worth. If your mama, or Henry lost their hair, they would still be beautiful and we would love them, yes?"

Isabel nodded, wiping her eyes.

"Now, no more tears, it's all gonna be okay. And you know what? You have so much hair, that no one is going to notice that you have less for a long time, okay?" Will reached over to the bedside table and handed his daughter the box of tissues.

"Okay daddy. Thanks, I love you."

"I love you too princess." Will pressed a kiss to her forehead and gently set her back in bed.

Xx

Later that morning, JJ sat in Isabel's hospital with her daughter in her lap, flipping through a magazine and letting Isabel read along. Dr. Kershaw stepped in,

"Hello ladies, is Will with Henry?"

"Yes, he's taking him down to the daycare, he should be back shortly." JJ said to him as she smiled up at him. Dr. Kershaw had been good to them, he always had time for the family and put Isabel's wants and needs first. He was patient and helpful when explaining procedures. Dr. Robins, Nurse Long, and Dr. Artino were also a part of Isabel's medical team, each one making Isabel more and more comfortable with each passing day.

Shortly, Will walked into the room with Dr. Robins. Will made his way over to JJ and Isabel while Dr. Robins and Dr. Kershaw each pulled up a chair. Dr. Kershaw cleared his throat and began,

"Alright, as Isabel's treatments progress, she's going to be in more pain more often, simply as a result of the damage chemotherapy is doing, along with stress and simple discomfort from being away from home. To manage this pain, Isabel is going to start needing stronger pain medications more often. So, as I've told you Mrs. Lamontagne, we're going to implant what is called a central line into Isabel."

"I will do the procedure," Dr. Robins spoke up, "essentially, it's a tunneled catheter that is inserted into a vein. They can be inserted in the forearm, chest, or neck, but because Isabel is so small and because she's very uncomfortable with her forearms, her's will be inserted into her chest. The tunnel runs through a vein and eventually leads to a very large vein near the heart. It will come out of her skin and on the end of it is what is commonly referred to as a "port". Through this port pain medication and blood transfusions will be given. Protruding from the port will be what is called a "triple lumen catheter", and this is basically three small tubes that connect to the port, allowing medication and blood to enter the tunnel itself. It's a fast and easy way to get essential nutrients, medications, or whatever else she needs straight to her system."

Isabel tensed up,

"Will it hurt? Will I feel anything?"

"The sight of the port will be sore, and you may feel some discomfort because it's something your body isn't used to, but you'll get used to it in a few days, and eventually you won't notice it at all." Dr. Kershaw assured her, wanting her to be as relaxed as possible.

"Is there any danger with there being tubes coming out of her skin, I mean, if they get pulled on by accident, what would happen?" JJ asked hesitantly, not wanting to scare Isabel.

"She wouldn't feel anything because the port is fairly secure, at most, just a little pressure at most." Dr. Robins responded, looking at Isabel as she did.

JJ and Isabel breathed a sigh of relief in unison, their chests feeling lighter.

"Anymore questions? Your operation is later this evening." Dr. Robins asked, looking at each of them.

When there was no response and they simply shook their heads, they thanked one another, parted ways, and went back to preparing Isabel.

Xx

JJ's foot tapped the ground repeatedly, her face in her hands and knots in her stomach. Isabel just been taken into surgery, and JJ had been regretting this wait. She reflected on the past two weeks, how Isabel had been such a champion through chemo despite how ill it had made her and the unfortunate side effect she'd begun experiencing that morning. JJ knew it would be hard as Isabel lost more and more of her hair, and JJ knew it would be up to her to make Isabel remember how beautiful she was, hair or no hair. Despite all this, Isabel had managed to keep her energy up fairly well, and she laughed and smiled everyday. She didn't look sick just yet; her lips were still full and pink, her cheeks blushed, her hair was shiny and mostly still intact, and her bright blue eyes still shone when the sun reflected off of them. This would change, and that scared JJ immensely. She didn't want people thinking of her little firecracker as a weak, sick kid, because on the inside she was the same energetic, fiery little reflection of her mother. JJ knew they would get stares in the streets; people would stare at Isabel's bald head, her dried, pale lips, her skinny frame, and the tubes peering out of the top of her shirt. JJ would have to prepare Isabel for it, even though she didn't want to. She asked herself and God everyday why her life had suddenly taken this turn. She only went to work on days where she could sit at her desk doing paperwork and talking to her friends because she couldn't go away on cases, Isabel was excused from school for who-knows-how-long, and Will had decided to take leave for the month as Isabel went through induction chemotherapy, knowing that he needed to be there for both his children. Henry hardly understood anything, just that he was going to have to be very careful with his sister within a short amount of time, and that they wouldn't be able to play together like they used to. When JJ had sat Henry down with Isabel and explained this to him, he simply said, "Okay mommy, ok Bell.", turned to his sister, gave her a hug and a kiss, and marched away with his head down. He was being braver than JJ expected, and she knew a large part of it was him watching how Will was with Isabel.

JJ was thankful for all the kindness, patience, and understanding they had all received, and hoped it would hold out in the long run.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey! Here's a sweet chapter to (hopefully) lift everyone's spirits! Thanks ****again for all the support!**

Isabel sat reading her favorite book, "_Charlotte's Web"_ as a blood transfusion pumped into her central line. It was a few days since she'd received it, and although it was still slightly uncomfortable, she was really appreciating how much more convenient it was than having an IV stuck in her arm or her back. Her hair was falling out more and more each day, and although she put on a brave face, JJ could tell it was still bothering her. JJ, who was sitting on the floor playing with Henry, looked over at her daughter, watching her face. Even as she read a book that never failed to make her smile, Isabel could barely manage anything besides a frown.

"Will," she whispered to her husband, who was reading e-mail for work in a chair across from them. He looked at her,

"I'm gonna head down to the gift shop, I'll be back soon." She kept her voice hushed and sent Henry to play with Isabel. JJ grabbed her purse and headed out into the hallway.

Every time JJ made this journey down the hall of the pediatric oncology wing, whether she was alone or with someone else, it took all her will to not break down. She hated passing rooms with kids just like Isabel, some worse, some better, but all the same. The majority of them had leukemia or some form of brain cancer, because those were most common in kids. JJ couldn't stand the idea of children with cancer, it just wasn't right. However, she took a deep breath, kept her eyes dead ahead, and tried to block everything out as best she could. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally reached the elevators, happy to go down to the main floor, away from most of the sickness and horror of the hospital.

She walked into the gift shop, her eyes immediately targeted on the racks of scarves, the majority of which were made specially for cancer patients. They were larger and most of them were made by companies that sent the proceeds to various cancer research organizations and charities. She made her way over to the racks and started to look through all the various colors and patterns.

"Who's it for?" The clerk spoke up.

JJ looked at her with a frank expression,

"Um, my daughter. She has leukemia."

The clerk looked taken aback,

"Oh ma'am, I'm sorry."

It was the reaction JJ had become so accustomed to. She was growing tired of it, she didn't want people's sympathy. Isabel was doing fairly well, and although Will and JJ were still struggling with coming to terms with everything, they were pretty well-off themselves.

"How old is she?" The clerk asked JJ gently.

"She's eleven, she'll be twelve on June 14th." JJ quickly turned her focus back to the scarves, a kind indicator that she didn't want to hold a discussion with the clerk.

She decided to get ten scarves, they were fairly priced and went to a good cause. JJ found the perfect scarf almost right away; it was light purple with soccer balls printed all over it. She smiled at it, knowing that it would make Isabel very happy, and pulled it off the rack.

She made pretty quick work, getting scarves with various bright colors and patterns. One was pink with a plaid pattern, another black with white stars. One of her favorites was grey with little black birds all over, and another was light blue with white hearts.

She paid up and took her bag back up to Isabel's room. When she stepped in, Isabel's eyes immediately went to what was in JJ's hands,

"Mommy, what's that?" She asked curiously.

"Hi sweetie, I got you something." JJ smiled as she set the bag on Isabel's bed,

"Go ahead, open it."

Will pulled up his own chair and another one for JJ, setting Henry down in his lap as they sat, their eyes on Isabel.

Slowly and carefully, Isabel peered into the bag, pulled out the tissue paper, and lit up.

"Oh my gosh mom! Thank you so much!" She smiled and laughed as she pulled out the scarves, looking at each one, her eyes getting brighter and brighter. Then, she got to the light purple one with soccer balls,

"Mommy, this is perfect. Thank you, thank you so much!" She practically fell out of bed with excitement as she leaned over to give JJ a hug and a kiss.

"Oh baby, you're so welcome. I was hoping this would cheer you up! Plus, this way, you get to change your hair color everyday!" JJ chuckled and winked at Isabel, and Isabel laughed. Will smiled at his princess, glad that she could start to gain her sense of security and some of her confidence back. Isabel had JJ pull what remained of her hair into a small sloppy bun, then fitted the purple scarf over her head. It was stunning against Isabel's skin, and it made her eyes have a violet tint to them. Some of her dark hairs still strayed out, adding a beautiful contrast.

"You look gorgeous sweetie." JJ said, smiling at her daughter, and passing her a handheld mirror as she did.

"This is so pretty! I love it!" Isabel fell in love with her own reflection, then looked at JJ,

"Thank you again, this is all so cool and beautiful."

JJ sat next to her daughter and pulled her close,

"Anything for my bunny rabbit." She pressed a kiss to Isabel's cheek, and indulged as her daughter gained back some of her old self.

Xx

JJ walked with Isabel down to the common room of the wing, where all the kids could safely play together and socialize. Isabel, Will, and JJ had all decided that it was time for each of them to start getting to know some of their fellow patients and parents, considering they were settling in and knowing more and more each day that the hospital was a second home.

Isabel took a deep breath and stepped into the large, colorful room. In one corner there were four little boys-that looked to be about Henry's age-with thinning hair playing with a train set, at a table were two teenage girls wearing knit beanies who seemed to be in the midst of a game of Gin Rummy, which was JJ's own favorite card game that she'd promised she would teach Isabel over the summer. Isabel's eyes went to a beautiful little girl sitting at the back of the room by herself. She looked up at JJ for encouragement,

"Can I…?"

"Go ahead sweetie, I'll be right here."

Isabel gulped and made her way over to the girl,

"Hi." Isabel greeted her softly.

"Hello." The girl looked up with big brown eyes that reminded Isabel so much of Henry.

"I'm Isabel, mind if I join you?"

"Sure, go ahead. My name's Chloe." Chloe smiled at Isabel as she sat down next to her.

"What are you in for?" Chloe asked softly.

"Stage two Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. You?"

"I'm in remission for stage four medulloblastoma." Chloe said proudly.

"Wow, that's awesome! Wait, remission does mean like…recovery, right?" Isabel asked, not wanting to mistake what Chloe was saying.

Chloe simply laughed,

"Yes, you're right, no worries."

Isabel nodded and looked at the floor.

"When did you get here?" Chloe looked back at Isabel.

"A few weeks ago." Isabel said shyly.

"Cool. I've been coming here for eight and a half months." Chloe said with a frank expression on her face.

Isabel's eyes widened,

"Wow, that's crazy. I have to be here for probably another two months, and then I have maintenance chemo for two years, or something like that."

Chloe looked Isabel in the eyes,

"Jeeze. Good luck, it's a long journey."

The two pulled "Scrabble" from the shelf with games on it, which had been sitting right next to them, and dove into the game.

From the front of the room, JJ looked on with a proud smile.

"That your daughter?" A woman that was two inches taller and a couple years older than JJ walked up to her.

"Yeah, Isabel, she's eleven. Stage two Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia." JJ said all the facts right away so she could avoid questions.

"She's with Chloe, my daughter. She's ten and she's in remission from stage four medulloblastoma. It's a kind of genetic brain cancer, originates in the cerebellum."

JJ was impressed and shocked all at once,

"Wow. I'm glad she's okay. Isabel was just diagnosed a few weeks ago."

"That's the hardest, the diagnosis. I'm guessing she's just received first chemo?" The woman asked.

"Yeah, it's called induction. The first two weeks were the hardest for Isabel, she was sick everyday, and was absolutely devastated when her hair started falling out." JJ's heart broke as she recalled the day Will called her, informing her that their daughter was in hysterics over her hair.

"I'm sorry. It's such a hellish thing for anyone to go through, let alone a child." The woman looked at JJ, and paused,

"I'm sorry I completely forgot to mention my name, I'm Lee-Ann, but you can call me Lee." She stretched her hand out and gave JJ a light smile.

"I'm Jennifer." JJ returned the gesture, and went quiet.

"If you ever need anything, feel free to ask. Chloe is in the first room on the right when you come through the main hallway from this direction." Lee showed JJ.

"Thank you, a lot. You're very kind, and I will." JJ smiled.

The two turned back to their daughters, watching as they grew more and more comfortable with one another.

JJ so hoped this was the kind of compassion everyone would show.


End file.
